Railway traffic controlling



Dec. 12, 1944. P. P. sToKl-:R

I RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1942.,

Patented Dec. 12, 1944 RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Paul P. Stoker, Joliet, Ill., assignor to The Union Switch and Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 19, 1942, Serial No. 458,931

3 Claims.

My invention relates torailway traflic controlling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for governing traiiic at grade crossings and similar hazards.

A railroad grade crossing or similar hazard is usually provided With signals, derails, train stops or a combination of such devices for governing tra'ice thereover. These devices are frequently controlled automatically, and a track circuit is commonly used for accomplishing such automatic control. On electrified roads, such as street car lines, track circuits involve costs that may be prohibitive. street cars are operated may make track circuits undesirable.

Accordingly, a feature of my invention is the provision of railway traffic controlling apparatus incorporating novel` means for automatic control of tralic governing devices at grade crossings and other hazards, and wherewith track circuited track sections are not required.

vision of novel automatic grade crossing controlapparatus that requires the same number of cars be counted out of a crossing control section of one of the roads as are counted into the control section before the crossing is released for use by the other road.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of novel means for control apparatus at grade crossings and similar points .wherewith restoration of a tra'ic governing device to its normal position is prevented until the last car or train has cleared the crossing.

Other features, objects and advantages embodying my invention will appear as the specilication progresses.

I shall describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing. which is a diagrammatic view showing one form of apparatus embodying my invention, the reference character GC designates a grade crossing of an east-west railroad EW with a north-south railroad NS. The east-West road is an electried road over which traffic normally moves in the direction indicated by an arrow, and which is provided with a trolley wire TW. This trolley wire is, of course, connected to a source of propulsion current such as, for example, a 600 volt generator not shown, and the track rails la and lb of the railroad are included in the return path for the propulsion current. In the drawing the trolley wire TW is shown positioned outside Also the closeness at which of the track rails for the sake of clarity, but in practice the trolley wire will usually be disposed above the center line of the track rails. It is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to a grade crossing.

The railroad EW is provided with a Xed signal S and a derail DR ior governing tramc over the crossing GC. 'Signal S may be of any standard form and is shownas a two-position light signal having a stop lamp 3 and a proceed lamp 4. Derail DR may be of any suitable type and is shown as a single point derail disposed in rail Ib at a location to the left of the crossing and a little in advance of signal S, the distance of the derail from the grade crossing being suicient to assure that a derailed car will come to a stop before entering the crossing. Derail DR is operated by a motor operated mechanism OM and which mechanism is shown as comprising a double solenoid whose plunger is operatively connected to the movable point of the derail by a suitable drive connection indicated by a dotted line 5. A circuit controller contact member l is also operatively connected to the derail through the operating mechanism. The arrangement is such that energization of a normal magnet N of the mechanism positions the plunger to move the detail DR to its open or derailing position and to move contact member 6 tovengage a stationary contact 1, and energization of a reverse magnet R of the mechanism positions the plunger to movethe derail to its closed or nonderailing position and to move the Contact member 6 to engage a stationary contact 8. The

Y mechanism OM is of such construction that it remains in the position tov which it was last moved when both magnets Nand R are deenergized.

'I'he positions of the derail and of the mechanism OM are repeated by two relays NWP and RWP, relay NWP being energized over an obvious circuit including contact 6-1 to repeat the open position of the derail andv relay RWP being energized over an obvious circuit including contact 6 3 to repeat the closed position of the derail.

The magnets N and R of the operating mechanism OM are energized by cirauits which are controlled by a contactor 9 and tWo control relays NW and'RW, and which circuits receive energy from the propulsion current source. A circuit is formed for magnet N from trolley wire TW through wire l0, front contact l'lof contactorv 9, front contacts I8 and I9 in series of relay NW, wire 20, winding of magnet N and wire I 6 to rail Ia; and a circuit is formed for magnet R from trolley wire TW through Wire I0, front contact I1 of contactor 9, front contacts 2| and 22 in series of relay RW, wire 23, winding of magnet R and Wire I6 to rail Ia. The contactor 9 is normally energized by current supplied from the trolley Wirethrough Wire, IDback contacts II and I2 in series of relay RW, back: contacts I3 and I4 in series of relay NW, winding of contactor 9, resistor I5 and wire I6 to rail Ia. The contacter 9 is slow to release and consequently' when relay NW is energized and picked up, `magnet N is energized during the slow releasepepriodof contactor 9 to operatethe derail to its open position, and when relay'RW is energized' and picked up the magnet R is energized during the slow release period of contactor 9, to operate the derail to its closed position. The man-` ner of controlling the two relays NW andRW will appear hereinafter.

The railroad EWI isfprovided ywith .three 'traffic governed Adevices C I C2." and C3;v and' these devices are` preferablyitrolley:contactors.. Contacter CI includes two contact members 24` and 2.5, contactor C2 includs a contact member 26', and ccntactor C3`includesa contact member. 21. Each of thesecontactlmembers iss-paced from the trolley wire to be normally-'free fromcontactltherewith, but al trolley wheelbridges between `the trolley wire and the.V contact-member so .that'current fromtheztrolley. Wire passes :to 'the contact member and thenceto any `circuit .connectedwith such contact member. Thetwou'contact members '.24 land .25f of contactorxCI J are positioned 'for contact memberf24ito .bethe'nrst toireceive current whena cariistmoving in thenormal direction of rtraiiic, and.contactrmember25lto bev the first to.receive'currentiwhen a caris moving againstfthe'normal direction .oftraiic` The contactor CI is'located-atapreselectedpoint some distance inthe rear of signal .Sg contacter C2 is located adjacent; s'lgnaliSand contacter C3is locatedy aty a pointf on the: sideopposite of the crossing from thederail. .The'locations of contactors lCI and C3`fformalcontrollsection for the road EW,` lthe location of` contactorCl beingxthe entrance endiof'such control section forl traffic moving ,in `the :normal direction, andthelocation of contactor C32being 'theexitend of such section;

A directional means vcompfrisingstwo relays AIR and A2Rrisfcontrolledi.by-the contactor'CI to distinguish between `cars enteringthe-control Isection to approach the crossing and cars leaving the. control`section'when moving: against the .normal ldirection of`tra1lic to recede-from the crossing; Also a can'that entersA the'controlsection to approach-.the crossing. andthen reverses its direction and backs out of the control section is detected by sucndirectionalfmeans. Each relay AI R and'AZRisprovidedlwith auupick-up vand a stick circuit, and'which circuitsreceive current froml the trolley-wire:v The: pick-up circuit for relay AIRlis'f'from;contacbmember 24; throughy wire 28,- back 'contact :28 ,'ofirelay: A2R; winding of relay' AIR,-,\resistance: 30 and wire 3.1fto railr I b; The stick circuit for relay AIR is from contact member-25, throughzwire 32, front ycontact .33 of relay A-IR andthence thesame as vvthe pick-up circuitto rrail-Ib. Similarly, apick-up circuit for relay A2R. is from. contact member '1 25, through Wire` 3.2, back contacta of relay-AIR; winding of relay A2R-.resistance- 3IIz and wire 3| torail Ib; and .its stick circuit .extends from contact member 24 through wire 28, front contact 35'of relay A2R. and thence the tsameas` the pickupcircuitA for that relay to rail I b. A resistance 36 is connected across the winding of relay AIR through front contact 31 of that relay, and is connected across the Winding of relay A2R through front contact 38 of that relay, so that each relay AIR and A2R has a slow release characteristic the period of which is predetermined by the resistance 36. It is to be seen, therefore,`that relay AIR is energized and picked up when a car moving in the normal direction enters the control section, and that relay A2R is energized and pickedup when a car moving inthe opposite direction leaves the control section, and that each relay AIR and A2R when picked up is retained vpickedup for a predetermined slow release period subsequent to the car passing beyond the contactor CI.

Contacter C2. governs a relay BR which is included in a circuit extending from contact member 26 of contactor C2 through resistance 39, Winding of relay. BR and wire I6,to the track rails. ContactorCB governs a relay CSR which is' included in a circuit extending from contact member 21 of the contactor through the winding of relay C3R, resistance 40 and wire IB to the rails; Thus when the trolley wheel of a car engages contact memberZS of contacter. C2, relay BRis energized and'picked up .during the period the car is passing the contacter, and when the trolley wheel of a carengages contact member 21 of contacter, C3, the relay C3Rv isenergized and picked up. R'elay C3R is made slow to release `by ai resistance. 4I connected across thewinding of the1re1ay throunhfrontcontact 42 of vtherelayl The relays AIR, A2R and CBR jointly'control a'counting .relay CR to count the number of cars movingintoV the'controlsection and to require thatitheisame number of cars be counted out of the sectionbelore trafiic'on road NS can be permitted to enter the crossing GC. Counting relay CR may loe` any suitable construction and. is shown as of the construction covered by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates No. 1,932,020, granted October 24; 1933, to Branko Lazich, for Electrical relays` In the. present application, the construction of this relay will be described only to the extent requiredfor a full understanding of my invention. Relay CR comprises two magnets 4S and41 which operate two ratchet wheels 48 and 49, respectively. These two ratchet Wheels are `fixed Von-a shaft .u'which is constantly urged in a clockwise directionfb-y a spiral spring 5I whose outer endis fastened to a spring case not shown and whose inner end is fastened to shaft 50, A latch pawl 55` engages ratchet Wheel 49' to restrain movement of the shaft 5I) by the spiral spring. Ratchet wheel 48 is driven in a counterclockwise direction-by magnet through a propelling pawl 52. attached to armature 53 of that magnet. The parts are-so proportioned that energization of magnet to attract its;arma ture 53 to the left as viewed in the. drawing; raises pawl 52-to engage a tooth or thel ratchet wheel 48 and rotate the ratchet wheel one tooth against the force of the spiral spring-5I. When magnet 46 is deenergized, its armature 53.' is

drawn to the rightbyy a'bias spring'54 and pawlA disengages the teethr o1- the. ratchet wheel. The `shaft 5D is heldl at the point to'which lt has beenA advanced by the latch pawl 55; Latch pawl 5511s rattached'to armature 5tA of magnet 41', the armature 56 being biased to the left1a's viewed in the drawing byl a springv 51. Energization of magnet 41 to attractitsarmature 56 liftsfthe latch rpawl 55out offengagement `with the ratchet wheel 49 and the shaft'l) is rotated clockwise by spring the rotation of shaft 50 being limited to one tooth by a pawl 58 also attached to armature 56 and raised to engage the ratchet wheel 49 when the armature 56 is attracted by energization of magnet 41. When magnet 41 is subsequently deenergized, the latch pawl 55 drops back to engage the ratchet wheel 49 and restrains further rotatie-n. Thus energization of magnet 46 steps the shaft 50 in one-direction and energize,-` tion of magnet 41 steps the shaftin the opposite direction. Carried on shaft 56 is a contact member 59 which norm-ally is positioned to engage a stationary contact 6l) to complete an electrical connection therewith. An energizing impulse supplied to magnet 46 to rotate ratchet wheel 48 and in turn shaft 50 one step causes contact member 59 to be advanced one step away from contact 69 to open the electrical connection therewith. The subsequent energization of magnet 41 serves to rotate the shaft 50 and in turn the contact member 59 back one step for contact member 59 to engage the contact 6B. It follows that if magnet 46 is successively energized two or more times, the magnet 41 must be successively energized an equal number of times to reclose the contact Sil-60.

l Magnet 46 is energized by a circuit from trolley wire TW through resistance 62, front contact 63 of relay AlR, wire 64, winding of magnet 46 and wire 3l to rail Ib.A Magnet 41 is provided'with a circuit having two alternative paths, one of which passes from trolley wire TW through resistance 52, front contact 65 of relay AZR, wire 66, winding of magnet 41 and wire 3| to the track rail; and the second path of which includes trolley wire TW, wire l0, resistance 61, front contact 68 of relay CtR, wire 69, winding of magnet 41 and wire 3l to the track rail.

A repeater relay APR is controlled by the counting relay CR, relay APR being energized by an obvious circuit including contact 59-66 of relay CR. Hence, when relay CR is energized to step contact member 59 away from its normal position due to a car entering the control section, I7

the repeater relay APR is deenergized, and when relay CR is energized to step the contact member 59 back to its normal position due to the car leaving the control section either at the exit end or by reversing its movement to leave at the en- C2, the repeater relay BPS is deenergized and released, and as this car passes contactor C3 to pick up relay C3R, the repeater relay BPS is reenergized and then retained picked up by its stick circuit. The repeater relays APR and BPS serve to control the control relays NW and RW and the signal S, as will appear presently.

In describing the operation of the apparatus, I shall assume that a car moving in the normal direction of traffic approaches the grade crossing. Relay AIR is energized and picked up as the trolley wheel of the car engages the contact member 24 of contactor CI, and is then released at the end of its predetermined slow release period after the car passes beyond the contactor. Magnet 46 of the counting relay CR is energized during the interval relay AIR is picked up, and relay CR is operated to advance its contact member 5l! one step to open the contact 59--60 and deenergize the repeater relay APR. With relay APR released closing back contact 10, current is supplied to lamp 3 of the signal S and that lamp is illuminated to display a stop indication. This circuit for lamp 3 can be traced from terminal B through back contact 10 of relay APR, front contact 1l of relay BPS, back contact 12 of repeater relay RWP, lamp 3 to terminal C. The release of relay APR to close its back contact 13 completes a circuit for the control relay RW, current flowing from terminal B through back contact 14 of relay RWP, a contact .15 controlled by traflic on road NS and closed only when there is no train within denite limits approaching the crossing on road NS, back contact 13 of relay APR and winding of relay RW to terminal C. Relay RW is now picked up to energize magnet R and operate the derail to its nonderailing position. When the derail is closed, the repeater relay RWP is energized and repeater relay NWP is deenergized. With relay RWP picked up to open back contact 12 and close its front contact 16, the circuit for lamp 3 of signal S is opened and the circuit for lamp 4 is closed and signal S displays a proceed indication. As this car moves past contactor C2 at signal S, the relay BR is momentarily energized and picked up to cause therelease of repeater relay BPS. Relay BPS upon releasing to open front contact 1l and close back contact -11 opens the circuit for proceed lamp 4 and closes'a circuit for stop lamp 3 and signal S displays a stop indication. When this car advances over the grade crossing, and its trolley wheel engages contact member 21 of contactor C3, relay CSR is energized causing the repeater relay BPS to be reenergized. Relay CSR on being energized to close front contact 68, also completes the circuit for magnet 41 of the counting relay CR and that relay is operated back to its normal position to close contact 59-60 and cause repeater relay APR to be reenergized. A circuit is now ,formed from terminal B through back contact 18 of relay NWP, front contact 19 of relay APR, winding of relay NW and terminal C, and relay NW is energized. With relay NW picked up the magnet N is energized to operate the derail to its open position and causes repeater relay NWP to be energized vand relay RWP to be deenergized and the apparatus is restored to its normal position.

,In the case a second car follows the first carA into the control section, the second car causes counting relay CR to be operated a second step' away from its normal position so that when the iirst car moves out of the control section at cone tactor C3, the contact member 59 of relay CR is still one step away from its normal position, and repeater relay APR remains deenergized with the result that the derail remains at its closed position, and signal S is operated as required to display its proceed lamp 4 for the second car. When this second car advances over the crossing and past the contactor C3 to cause relay C3R to be again picked up, the counting relay CR is `again energized to step its contact member 59 back to the normal position, so that the derail DR is then operated to its open position and signal S is set to display a stop indicaof trame -passes contactor CI tion; That isftov say,.the`same number of cars thatf enter 'the' control section: must beV counted outof` the control'section before the derail DR and signal `S arefconditioned to permitv use ofthe grade' crossingby traic onthe road NS. \In this connection it is' to benoted that the repeater relay NWP controls at its front contact 80 a circuit for governing the signals `for the road NS, and' hence. the grade crossing is released for use byfratr'ain on road NS only when the derail DR isf-set atit's dei-ailing position.

` case a car moving in the normal direction and operates relayfCR to bring about the closingof derail DR andthe' display of aproceed indication at signal Sand such car then reverses its direction and backs away from the crossing, the movement of the car past' contactor CIk energizes relay A2R, causingl relay CR to be energized to stepthe contact member 59` back to its normal position ser. that the derail DR and signal S are restored to their normal positions.

It is to be seen from the foregoing description: that I have provided apparatus for automaticcontrolof derails and similar tralic governiirg devices at a grade crossing and similar hazardous points and'wherewith track circuited traclnsections yare not required.

Although I have herein shown and described butionerform of railway traflic controlling apparatus f embodying myinvention, it is understood that` various changes and modifications maybe made therein withinA the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit .and scope of' my invention.:

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1.- In combinaton, a railroad over which traic normally moves in a given direction and which uses a trolley wire, a derail located in said railroad, a signal located just to the rear of-said derail; a'first, a second and a third trolley contactor which are located at a point to the rear of the derail, adjacent said signal and at a point in advance of the derail respectively; a counting relay having a contact member operable in a step-bystep manner away from or toward a normal position according as the relay is energized at a first sense or energized at a second sense, means including said first contactor to energize said relay atsaid first sense when a car passes that contactor, means controlled by said contact member'and by a. contact closed under safe traffic conditions to energize said motor means to operate the derail to a non-derailing position when the contact member is stepped awayfrom its normal position, other means governed by said contact member to control said signal to a proceed position when the contact member is stepped away fromfits normal position, means including said'second contactor to remove said contact memberfrom control of said other means and to establish a." stop position for said signal when a car'passesrthe second contactor, and means/in'- cludingy said third contactor to energizef said counting relay in said second sense and to restore the control of said contact member over said other means.a

2. In combination with a hazard along a railroad over which traffic normally moves in a given direction and which uses a trolley Wire, a derail located at a point to the rear of said hazard, motor means connected to said deraii for operation thereof, a signal energizable to display either a stop or a proceed indica-tion but normally deenergized and located just to the rear of said derail; a first, a second and a third trolley contactor which are located at a point some distance to the rear of the derail, adjacent said signal and at a point in advance of said hazard respectively; a iirst circuit means including said rst contactor and a contact closed under safe traic conditions at said hazard to energize said signal to display its stop indication and to energize said ymotor means to operate the derail to its non-derailing position when a train passes that contactor, means controlled by said derail to change the energization of said signal to display its proceed indication when the derail is at its nonderailing position, a second circuit means including said second contactor to energize said signal to display its stop indication when said train passes that contactor, and a third circuit means including said third contactor to deenergize said signal and to energize said motor means to operate said derail to its derailing position when said train passes that contactor 3. In combination, a railroad over Which traiic normally moves in a given direction and which uses a trolley wire, a fixed signal located a preselected point to the rear of a fixed hazard and energizable to display either a stop or a proceed indication and normally deenergized; a first, a second and a -third trolley contactor located at a point some distance to the rear of said signal, adjacent said signal and at a point in advance of the hazard respectively; a iirst circuit means including said rst contactor to energize said signal to display its stop indication when a train passes that contactor, a second circuit means controlled by said hazard when Conditioned for safe passage of traffic to cooperate with said first circuit means to energize said signal to display its proceed indication, a third circuit means including said second contactor to energize said signal to display its stop indication when the train passes that contactor, a fourth circuit means including said third contactor to deenergize said signal when the train passes that contactor, and means including a counting relay controlled by a train passing said rst contactor to render said fourth circuit means ineffective to deenergize said signal when another train passes said rst contactor prior to the rst mentioned train passing said third contactor.

PAUL P. STOKER. 

